· By The Vocal Market
TL;DR Get a mechanical license (Easy Song or HFA), pick a distributor that handles cover songs (DistroKid has a dedicated cover flow), upload, set ISRC, and publish. For YouTube, let Content ID pay the original rights holders automatically. Total cost: $10 to $25 per cover. Releasing a cover on Spotify is not the same as uploading an original. You don't own the composition, which means you need permission, and the mechanical royalties flow differently. Do it wrong and your song gets taken down, your distributor account gets flagged, or you end up owing the original publisher money. This guide walks...